LL-L "Lexicon" 2002.01.28 (09) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

======================================================================
 L O W L A N D S - L * 28.JAN.2002 (09) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
 Web Site: <http://www.geocities.com/sassisch/rhahn/lowlands/>
 Rules: <http://www.geocities.com/sassisch/rhahn/lowlands/rules.html>
 Posting Address: <lowlands-l at listserv.linguistlist.org>
 Server Manual: <http://www.lsoft.com/manuals/1.8c/userindex.html>
 Archive: <http://listserv.linguistlist.org/archives/lowlands-l.html>
=======================================================================
 A=Afrikaans Ap=Appalachian D=Dutch E=English F=Frisian L=Limburgish
 LS=Low Saxon (Low German) S=Scots Sh=Shetlandic Z=Zeelandic (Zeeuws)
=======================================================================

From: "Aviad Stier" <aviad2001 at hotmail.com>
Subject:

Ron/Reinhard wrote:
"Re English "licorice," please bear in mind that there are is a
separation in German and Low Saxon: (1) _Süßholz_/_Söötholt_
("sweet-wood," the plant _Glycyrrhiza glabra_), and (2)
Lakritze/Lakritz, the chewable, gooey substance made from the plant and
additives"

Ignorant me! All my life I was sure licorice was made from fennel, since
they taste so similar to each other. What is this sweet-wood, anyway? Is
it
in any way close to fennel (fenugreek - it's the same plant, I think,
unless I'm mixing everything up)?

Aviad Stier
Brussels

----------

From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
Subject: Lexicon

Aviad, folks,

According to my botanical sources, licorice and fennel are unrelated.
Licorice (Dutch _zoethout_, German _Süßholz_) varieties appear to belong
to the legume family _Faboideae_, _Fabaceae_ (_Leguminosae_), Dutch
_vlinderbloemigen_, German _bohnenartige Gewächse_), thus are related to
beans, peas, peanuts, laburnum, wistaria, lupines, clover, etc.
Fenugreek (_Trigonella foenum-graecum_, Dutch _fenegriek_, German
_Bockshornklee_) belongs to the same grouping.  Fennel (_Foeniculum_,
Dutch _fenkel_, German _Fenchel_), however, belongs to the family
_Umbelliferae_ (_Apiaceae_, "umbellifers," "umbelliferous plants," Dutch
_schermbloemigen_ or _samengesteldbloemigen_, German _Doldenblütler_)
and is thus related to plants like carots, dill, parsley, celery,
caraway, cumin, coriander, angelica, Queen Anne's lace, and pimpernel,
not to the former.

The European sources I consulted all stress that licorice is a main
ingredient in all traditional cough medications.  There are several
other varieties, apparently all with the typical licorice flavor, and
some of these are used throughout Eurasia as medical plants.  I remember
taking traditional Chinese "flu tea" (_ganmaocha_) or "flu medicine"
(_ganmaoyao_) in China. The liquid had a very, very strong, almost
overpowering licorice smell and flavor, probably from a hefty dose of
"Persian licorice" (_Glycyrrhiza glandulifera_) that is more commonly
used farther east.  This medicine, or something in it, was so potent --
or was it the notorious "Beijing flu" itself? -- that I passed out and
slept for almost three days like dead, waking up like Sleeping Beauty
seemingly ages later.  My roommate told me afterwards that three workmen
had been in the room to fix something or other, had sawn, had hammered
and had produced tons of dust, and they had put their heavy winter coats
right on top of me as if I weren't even there ... and none of this ever
woke me ...  But I was cured.

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron

==================================END===================================
 You have received this because your account has been subscribed upon
 request. To unsubscribe, please send the command "signoff lowlands-l"
 as message text from the same account to
 <listserv at listserv.linguistlist.org> or sign off at
 <http://linguistlist.org/subscribing/sub-lowlands-l.html>.
=======================================================================
 * Please submit postings to <lowlands-l at listserv.linguistlist.org>.
 * Postings will be displayed unedited in digest form.
 * Please display only the relevant parts of quotes in your replies.
 * Commands for automated functions (including "signoff lowlands-l") are
   to be sent to <listserv at listserv.linguistlist.org> or at
   <http://linguistlist.org/subscribing/sub-lowlands-l.html>.
 * Please use only Plain Text format, not Rich Text (HTML) or any other
   type of format, in your submissions
=======================================================================